Scripture Central

Why are ordinances and covenants necessary, and what does it mean to take upon oneself the name of Christ?

When Jesus went to John the Baptist for baptism, John naturally resisted saying, “I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?” Jesus replied, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.

To Nicodemus the Lord said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Baptism is for the remission of sins to qualify one to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and enter God’s kingdom.

The last charge Christ left with His disciples was to “teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

God’s plan for His children is not haphazard righteousness. There can be no fulfillment without commitment first. You must commit. It is this commitment that scares people off. Everyone wants the benefits offered. Every sane person wants fulfillment, redemption, joy, knowledge, peace, strength, love and power, but not everyone is willing to make the commitment to pay the price necessary to receive them.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

The Lord has said, “Say nothing but repentance unto this generation; keep my commandments, and assist to bring forth my work, according to my commandments, and you shall be blessed.”

What does that mean, say nothing but repentance?

Synonyms for repentance might include sanctifying change or improvement. And if so, we might take the Lord’s admonition to “say nothing but repentance unto this generation” as meaning “say nothing but continual improvement to become more like the Lord.”

Repentance is a subset of that more comprehensive, universal, divine drive to improve we call ambition. Repentance is the drive to specifically become more like the Lord. It is not autonomic as breathing or the beat of your heart, but it is as natural as eating and sleeping.

Yes, what we otherwise call “the natural man” and Satan resist change, but your divine nature is stronger and urges you to continually improve to realize the full measure of your potential. That process of refinement is repentance.

If faith in Christ is to look to Him, learn of Him and trust Him, repentance is to apply what you learn.

It’s that simple.

Welcome to “Finding Christ in the Old Testament.” To view the resources connected with this episode, visit https://johnhiltoniii.com/findingchrist.
Please like and comment on this episode and subscribe @scripturecentralofficial so you can more easily see the rest of the videos and resources in this course.
Whether you're using this course for personal enrichment or to help with "Come, Follow Me," we hope it will be valuable in your studies.

Lynne's handouts: https://scripturecentral.org/archive/books/book-chapter/2-kings-14-25?searchId=0eb3e36bfb24dcd9bb1d1bece1531216b59539a8fde17ee80224af0653c92aa3-en-v=fadf3b9

In this episode of Handmaidens, Harems, and Heroines, scholar Lynne Hilton Wilson explores 2 Kings 15–25 through the often-overlooked experiences of women in the Old Testament. Set during the turbulent final years of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, these chapters tell a story of political upheaval, prophetic warnings, and the destruction of Jerusalem—but they also reveal the influence, courage, and suffering of women living through these events.

Lynne highlights the roles of royal women, mothers of kings, prophetesses, and ordinary women whose lives were shaped by covenant faithfulness and national crisis. She examines how women participated in religious life, preserved family and covenant traditions, and responded to the spiritual decline of their societies. The episode also considers the reforms of righteous kings such as Hezekiah and Josiah, the ministry of the prophetess Huldah, and the devastating consequences of Judah’s exile to Babylon.

Throughout the discussion, Lynne invites listeners to see these familiar chapters with fresh eyes: not only as political history, but as sacred history that includes women’s voices, choices, and testimonies. Their stories illuminate themes of covenant loyalty, repentance, resilience, and hope in times of collapse.

Welcome to “Finding Christ in the Old Testament.” To view the resources connected with this episode, visit https://johnhiltoniii.com/findingchrist.
Please like and comment on this episode and subscribe @scripturecentralofficial so you can more easily see the rest of the videos and resources in this course.
Whether you're using this course for personal enrichment or to help with "Come, Follow Me," we hope it will be valuable in your studies.